I used the term "poverty porn" on another site and was soundly drubbed by Oprah Winfrey's cheering section. Although myself and another commentor tried to couch our criticism in the softest possible fashion, we were, alas, branded as "Haters" and racist. I, like you, Ms. Stephens, saw the movie as an exercise in pandering. When a filmmaker brings out his cudgel is it not a normal reaction to want to hit back?

People live with these kinds of conditions every day. If you don't like it, don't watch it. But don't try to invalidate it because it makes you uncomfortable about a given topic.

My critique of the film has little or nothing to do with my discomfort. Maybe like Dana, I am appalled by the way that certain people would abuse the very real problems of this segment of society to further their own ends. Grandstanding, plain and simple.

What ends are those? I think we can safely assume there are many complicated reasons for making movies about complicated subjects, so which simple "ends" have you cherry picked to dislike?

It's hardly "cherry-picking" when a flick is called out for pandering to the LCD. Maybe you liked the film, who knows? Let the rest of us see it in our own light. I think we're still allowed to have opinions despite of what Oprah and her ilk might say.

I dont like Orka. Take it back!

So please, saw, illustrate an example of a film that depicts the horror of poverty in a good way. Please, define for us what "grandstanding" is... and keep in mind that simply showing images of poverty isn't equal to grandstanding.

I really dont understand what you mean by "abuse the very real problems of this segment of society to further their own ends..." Was Bareback Mountain an abuse of that segment of society? was Hotel Rwanda? was any movie about any subject matter that dealt with real life issues an abuse of that segment of society? It would have to be sense you haven't defined what the abuse was. Is it showing poverty on the screen in parts of society that most people have never or will ever see? Is it the incest that occurs in that society that is never talked about? Is it the portrayal of illiteracy that is very real? which part was the abuse? Is it the verbal abuse, the sexual abuse? Considering the color purple had very intense and hard to watch scenes in it, dealing with a subject matter of almost the same caliber, would that movie be considered an abuse of the very real problems of that segment of society? Im just wondering. And what about this movie do you define as Grandstanding?